Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is one of the many politicians running for president in the 2024 presidential election. The last time we saw a Kennedy run for president was Ted Kennedy in the 1980 presidential election, though he withdrew in August of the same year .
Some of the main focuses of RFK Jr’s presidential campaign are to scale down the war machine, bring resources home, rebuild our water systems, repair our roads, clean up the government and regain the people’s trust. “I mean he has the name, that recognizable name, so I think he has a good chance,” says North history teacher Mr. Mclean. RFK Jr. also wants to end the secrecy, censorship and the surveillance of the government and once again be a fearless land of liberty.
But what about the “Kennedy Curse” that has captured people’s interest and fascinated them for more than half a century? According to historyhit.com, “After a car crash in 1969, Ted Kennedy, who had by this point lost 4 of his siblings prematurely, wondered if ‘some awful curse did actually hang over all the Kennedys’.” On the Kennedy curse, Mr. Mclean said, “You know, a couple of them have not fared too well, so it could be a thing, but I think we’ve moved on past that. I hope the Kennedy curse does not live on! No one wants to see him get assassinated!” There have been many tragic deaths within the Kennedy family ranging from assassinations to overdoses, and plane crashes.
The first tragedy to hit the Kennedy family was Rosemary Kennedy’s lobotomy in 1941. Rosemary was the oldest daughter of the Kennedys but as she grew older, her development wasn’t at its best. As she got to her early 20s, she often had violent mood swings and threw fits, which made it harder for the family to hide her disabilities from the public eye. Joseph Kennedy Sr. decided to give Rosemary a lobotomy without letting the rest of his family know about the procedure. The lobotomy was unfortunately botched and left Rosemary with the capabilities and knowledge of a two year old. She could no longer walk, nor speak. For the rest of her life, she was hidden away by the family and was hardly ever brought up again.
About two decades later, probably the most known tragic death from the Kennedy curse occurred- the assassination of our 35th president, John F. Kennedy, in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd of 1963. Then, only five years later, his brother Robert F. Kennedy Sr was also assassinated. When asked why he thought JFK was assassinated, Mr. Mclean replied, saying, “It was all political, it was all politics. Someone didn’t agree with his decisions and his authority and so… they got him.” Mr. Mclean was right because they did, in fact, get him.
There have been many more tragedies within the family and curse but the last one and most shocking is The Chappaquiddick Incident. After going out one night and drinking a little, Ted Kennedy drove off the road into a body of water with 28-year old Mary Jo Kopechne in the car. Ted then got out of the car and fled the scene, leaving Mary Jo Kopechne to die. According to historyhit.com, “Kennedy later claimed he dove repeatedly ‘into the strong and murky current’ to try and find Kopechne before making his way back to the cottage. He then drove back to the scene with his cousin, Joseph Gargan, and aide Paul Markham, who both tried in vain to reach Kopechne. But rather than report the accident to the police at that time, Kennedy returned to his hotel in Edgartown.” Mary Jo Kopechne was recovered 9 hours after the incident.
Although there have been many tragedies within the Kennedy family, I’m sure we are all hoping the so-called “curse” does not live on!
